Visitor numbers same as last year

Spoga+Gafa in Cologne attracted 36 300 trade visitors from 103 countries, the same number as for last year, when the show returned to its annual cycle for the Gafa segment. Visitors from abroad accounted for 58 per cent of the total. The number of exhibitors increased by eleven per cent to 1 975, 81 per cent of whom came from abroad.Retailers stressed the importance of the garden trade show for their sector. John Herbert, general secretary of the European DIY Retail Association (EDRA), spoke for over 90 top international buyers who came to the fair. “We have received entirely positive feedback from our members,” he said.